New Police Commissioner George Jackson has issued a blunt warning to officers who step out of line under his leadership.

Mr. Jackson called for an end to weeks of controversy that erupted when his predecessor Jonathan Smith said a minority of officers, some senior, were unaccountable to the public and lived in a ?time warp?.

But in comments that can only enhance Mr. Jackson?s reputation as a tough disciplinarian, he said: ?In any organisation there are going to be some people with strong views. If that?s the view of a minority of people, I will advise that they change those views.?

Mr. Smith?s outspoken parting speech also led to serious questions being asked about morale in the ranks of the Bermuda Police Service.

And Mr. Jackson yesterday admitted there was a problem ? but he stressed confidence could be turned around.

He added: ?Morale within the service, as far as I can see, has not been in any way shape or form damaged to the extent it can?t be repaired.

?If some people have been offended (by Mr. Smith?s comments), let?s be realistic. There are going to be times when something is said or done that someone may not be in agreement with.

?But at the end of the day ... the truth will always be the truth.?

The new Commissioner, who stepped into the hot-seat last week after 32 years? service, praised the ?significant modernising impact? Mr. Smith made during his tenure.

However, he said it was now time to ?put negatives aside and move forward?. He added he would take an ?all-inclusive? approach to leadership ? but stressed ?final decisions stop at my desk?.

Family man Mr. Jackson, who surprised many by shedding a tear at his swearing-in ceremony, appeared to make no apologies for his reputation as a hard-liner from the old school, and said that for him this is part and parcel of being a senior Police officer.

?The Bermuda Police Service is a disciplined organisation and discipline must be maintained,? he said. ?Any deviation from that can only lead to anarchy.

?We are the only law enforcement agency in Bermuda and if we can?t be a disciplined organisation, who?s actually going to enforce the law?

?We can?t be law-breakers or the public would have no confidence in us.?

Mr. Jackson, 53, from Pembroke, denied he was an ?iron-fisted individual?, but the practising Christian insisted his strongly-held principals came from his religious upbringing and focussed on ?what?s right and what?s wrong?.

His comments were part of a wide-ranging interview with that also touched on several tough challenges ahead. These included the growing problem of gang violence, hard-line views on drugs and radical new recruitment methods in the pipeline aimed at bolstering depleted ranks.

He also revealed that Police were preparing to roll out a new policy of having armed officers on permanent stand-by to counter the threat of guns. Currently the emergency response team is made up of officers pulled in from other units.

And the new Commissioner said pay scales in the force were currently under review in a bid to make a policing career more attractive to Bermudians, often currently lured into the private sector by more attractive salaries.

Mr. Jackson also revealed that ways of attracting experienced workers to a career change in the Service were being considered. Short-term contracts and the option of fast-tracking them through the junior ranks were other options under discussion.

A careers fair is also planned on December 29 geared at enlisting university and college students.

Mr. Jackson, who spent a long spell of his career in the narcotics division of the Bermuda Police Service, continued his hard-line approach when quizzed about his personal stance on drugs.

Asked whether he supported the downgrading or declassification of ?soft? drugs, like cannabis, he replied: ?Who determines what?s hard or soft?

?A drug that alters your thinking is equally as destructive as the so-called harder drugs. We have to remember that people react differently to different stimuli.?

He said the appointment of Wayne Perinchief as drugs supremo showed Government was taking the drugs menace seriously.

And Mr. Jackson backed the plan to appoint a new assistant commissioner from the UK, who will focus on drug-related crime. The move has been criticised by some officers for overlooking local talent, but the new commissioner said such overseas appointments were common in other countries ? and the expertise would help propel the continuing crackdown on drugs and violent crime in Bermuda.

?We are a very small community but we have issues regarding drugs and crime that need to be properly addressed,? he added. ?That is what we will be focussing on soon.

?We want to ensure that the entire community is safe and rid of some of the problems relating to drugs and crime. It?s not a difficult task in the sense that if we have the cooperation of the entire community working together with us, I?m confident that we can make a significant impact on that area.?

The spectre of gang violence on the Island is also high on the new commissioner?s list of priorities, and he admitted the problem is ?on the rise?.

He said Bermudian gang members were copying trends in countries like America. Fortunately they were not as organised, he added, so the behaviour could be ?stamped out? with a concerted effort from Police and parents.

?I can?t understand why young men want to behave the way they are doing, injuring themselves and others wantonly for no reason.?

Mr. Jackson would not be drawn on his leadership goals during yesterday?s 30-minute interview.

A brainstorming ?retreat? with his senior management team will take place over a few days in January, he said, after which a strategic plan for the future will be drawn up over several months.

One topic bound to be high on the agenda will be the radical new PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act) legislation, which will radically overhaul the arrest and evidence gathering methods.

Mr. Jackson yesterday confirmed that a PACE implementation manager has been earmarked in the UK. More details would be released soon once contract details had been confirmed.

The new manager will focus on the massive task of training Police on the new legislation. Concerns have been raised that extra red tape will stop Police getting out on the streets.

But Mr. Jackson said the opposite would be true with PACE giving officers wider powers and, with specialist custody sergeants in place, more time to work on investigations.

Meanwhile, the new commissioner welcomed news that Government was planning to patch up Hamilton Police Station, and that ground-breaking at a new city centre building had been earmarked for the first half of next year. The former assistant commissioner said better working conditions would help improve morale.